Some of the World's Most Famous Aviators Were Taking to the Skies in 1927, Hoping to Become

Charles Lindbergh and His Flight over the Atlantic

Queen Bessie the barnstormer

Some of the world's most famous aviators were taking to the skies in 1927, hoping to become the first to fly nonstop between New York and Paris. A $25,000 prize had been offered by hotel businessman Raymond Orteig for the first to complete the feat. Four men had already died trying, three others had been seriously injured, and two were still missing, but that didn't stop one ambitious young man from Little Falls, Minnesota.

Charles Lindbergh was working as an air mail pilot in the Midwest when he convinced a group of St. Louis businessmen to fund his attempt to make the trans-Atlantic flight. Lindbergh worked with a San Diego-based plane company to custom-build the plane according to the strict specifications needed to make the journey. Lindbergh christened his plane the Spirit of St. Louis, in honor of his generous backers.

When Lindbergh arrived in New York, most didn't give the fresh-faced 25-year-old a chance at succeeding. Not only was Lindbergh attempting the flight in a single-engine plane (in stark contrast to others' failed multi-engine efforts), but Lindbergh was going to try it alone - without a co-pilot. Convinced the young man's endeavor would surely end in his death, newspapers called him "the flying fool."

The Spirit of St. Louis was filled with so much fuel to make the flight, one of Lindbergh's biggest challenges would be upon take off. Would his plane actually get airborne? At 7:54 am on May 20, 1927, Lindbergh's plane raced down the runway on Roosevelt Field steadily gaining speed. Slowly the plane began to ascend. The plane's greatest obstacle lay at the end of the runway - telephone lines strung from pole to pole. With 20 feet to spare, the Spirit of St. Louis cleared the wires. Lindbergh was on his way across the Atlantic Ocean.

A sleep-deprived Lindbergh battled drowsiness along the way, but managed to safely touch down at Le Bourget Field near Paris. Hundreds of thousands cheered Lindbergh's unprecedented achievement. Lindbergh's flight made headlines around the world. A trip which would have taken a week by boat, was suddenly made in only 33 and a half hours.

When Lindbergh returned home, America greeted their new hero with unbridled enthusiasm. Four million people lined the streets of New York City for a ticker tape parade in his honor. Politicians and businessmen eager to promote air travel commissioned Lindbergh to fly the Spirit of St. Louis throughout the United States. Over the course of three months, Lindbergh visited 92 cities in 49 states, extolling the virtues of flight to a captivated American audience. When Lindbergh completed his national tour, he continued to publicize the benefits of aviation with trips to Central and South America. Lindbergh hoped that aviation might further connect different countries and foster greater understanding between cultures.